tirupati l tuesday l february 18, 2025 l `9.00 l PAGES 12 l late city EDITION India’s MAIDEN TRIALS FOR DEEP SEA EXPLORATION successful India’s fourth generation deep-ocean capsule Matsya-6000 has successfully completed its wet testing at the L&T harbour near Chennai Matsya-6000 First step towards manned deep sea mission to reach 6,000 metres below ocean by 2026 The first manned harbour trial of Matsya-6000 was conducted by the National Institute of Ocean Technology (NIOT), Chennai, between Jan 27 and Feb 12. It is the first step towards manned deep ocean exploration. In the next stage, the submersible will undergo shallow-water demonstrations at depths of up to 500 metres by the end of this year ■ The fortnight-long harbour trials, at a depth of two metres, assessed Matsya-6000’s performance across various parameters Matsya-6000 is expected to reach a depth of 6,000 metres in the Indian Ocean by 2026. It is a part of the Centre’s Samudrayan project to study underwater resources and biodiversity ■ Three persons can be accommodated inside matsya-6000 CHENNAI ■ MADURAI ■ VIJAYAWADA ■ BENGALURU ■ KOCHI ■ HYDERABAD ■ VISAKHAPATNAM ■ COIMBATORE ■ KOZHIKODE ■ THIRUVANANTHAPURAM ■ BELAGAVI ■ BHUBANESWAR ■ SHIVAMOgGA ■ MANGALURU ■ TIRUPATI ■ TIRUCHY ■ TIRUNELVELI ■ SAMBALPUR ■ HUBBALLI ■ DHARMAPURI ■ KOTTAYAM ■ KANNUR ■ VILLUPURAM ■ KOLLAM ■ TADEPALLIGUDEM ■ NAGAPATTINAM ■ THRISSUR ■ KALABURAGI foot-in-mouth bjp, Congress lock horns over Sam Pitroda’s ‘China’ view Immediate measures to regulate passenger flow at 60 busy rly stations across India Holding areas, new SOPs to ease crowding at stns devotees struggle at patna station Patna: Prayagrajbound passengers at Patna railway station on Monday faced a tall order while boarding trains. Eye-witnesses told local newspapers that passengers forced open bolted doors of Vikramshila Express and Magadh Express and occupied toilets, while many were seen hanging by the doors P r ee t h a N a i r & RA J E SH K UMAR THA K UR @ New Delhi AMID sharp criticism from the BJP, the Congress on Monday distanced itself from its leader Sam Pitroda’s remarks on China, and said his views do not belong to the party China remains . India’s foremost external security and economic challenge, Congress said. Pitroda, chairman of Indian Overseas Congress, in an interview to IANS news agency, said the perception of China as a threat to India is being blown out of proportion and that New Delhi should stop considering Beijing as an enemy . Clarifying the party’s stand, Jairam Ramesh, AICC general secretary (communications) said on X, “The views expressed by Sam Pitroda on China are most definitely NOT the views of the INC ... China remains our foremost foreign policy exter, nal security, as well as economic challenge. The INC has repeatedly raised questions on the I don’t know what Modi Govt’s apis the threat from proach to China, inChina. China is cluding the PM’s around... China is public clean chit to growing .. you got it on June 19, 2020.” to respect that At a press conference, BJP national Sam Pitroda in an spokesperson and interview to IANS MP Sudhanshu Trivedi said Pitroda’s remarks symbolise the mindset of the Congress and are in line with its leaders’ statements in support of China. “The ‘mohabbat ki dukan’ of the Congress is for anti national forces, be it George Soros or China,” Trivedi said. In the past too, Pitroda’s controversial comments have put Congress in a spot. In May last year, he resigned from his post for allegedly making racist comments during a podcast. However, he was reinstated after the 2024 elections. Congress had to scramble for cover after Pitroda endorsed a US model inheritance tax law in India last year. On the eve of Ram temple inauguration, Pitroda had said that unemployment and inflation are more real issues than Ram temple. The Congress party had distanced itself from his statement. Vaishnaw rules out conspiracy Passengers try to board an overcrowded train amid a huge rush owing to Mahakumbh Mela, at Patna railway station on Monday | PTI RA J E SH K UMAR THA K UR @ New Delhi IN the wake of the stampede at the New Delhi railway station on Saturday, the Ministry of Railways on Monday announced a slew of measures to prevent untoward incidents as it identified 60 railway stations across the country that experience high footfalls. To begin with, the railways will develop ‘permanent holding areas’ in these busy stations to manage crowds especially during peak times and strictly regulate their flow to platforms. Passengers will have to wait in the holding areas and allowed to enter the platform only as per the departure timing of their respective trains. Prayagraj in Uttar Pradesh; and Surat in Gujarat, besides New Delhi, Bangalore, and Coimbatore. The rail ministry is in the process of developing a comprehensive manual on crowd management by consolidating existing provisions and a standard operating procedure would be developed to manage passenger surges during festivals and special events. Also on the cards is a nationwide campaign to educate passengers on the dangers of sitting on stairs, which often leads to stampede-like situations during crowded times. “Feedback from all stakeholders, including vendors, would be taken into account, and related problems would be resolved within six months,” Vaishnaw added. Curbs on platform tickets The Northern Railway on Monday announced that platform tickets would not be sold between 4 pm and 11 pm for the next one week at the station to ensure proper crowd management. Over 10 trains were diverted from Delhi owing to the restrictions on the New Delhi Railway Station P r ee t h a N a i r @ New Delhi The selection committee comprising Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union home minister Amit Shah and the Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi met on Monday to pick the next Chief Election Commissioner. During Monday’s meeting, Rahul demanded that the government defer the decision on the new CEC till February 19 when the Supreme Court hears a petition challenging the constitution of the selection committee. He questioned the composition of the committee and the numerical advantage enjoyed by the ruling party. The meeting lasted 30 minutes and was held at the South Block office of the prime minister. Chief Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar is set to demit office on Tuesday . The appointment of the new CEC has become a political flashpoint between the ruling party and the Opposition. As per Section 7 of the Appointment, Conditions of Service and Term of Office) Act, 2023 to the law, the President will appoint the Chief Election Commission and other Election Commissioners on the recommendation of a selection committee headed by the prime minister and consisting of the Leader of the Opposition in Lok Sabha and a member of the Union Council of Ministers to be nominated by the prime minis- HC seeks report on CCTV cameras at police stations E x p r e s s N e w s Se r v i c e @ Vijayawada Taking note of the police department’s response that CCTV cameras are not functioning in the petitions filed regarding alleged illegal detention cases, the Andhra Pradesh High Court on Monday directed the State government to submit a detailed report on the performance of CCTV cameras installed at Govt takes steps to stock up on immunoglobulin E x p r e s s N e w s Se r v i c e @ Vijayawada Taking stock of the Guillain-Barré Syndrome (GBS) cases in the State, Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu on Monday directed the Health Department to investigate the reasons behind the occurrence and spread of the rare autoimmune condition and take necessary steps to reduce the number of cases. Briefing the media after the review meeting, Health Minister Y Satya Kumar Yadav reassured the public, stating that there is no need for panic as the situation is under control. Following the death of two people due to GBS, the Health Department has been put on high alert. The situation is being closely monitored, and immunoglobulin injections have been made available. An order has also been placed for additional supplies, he added. Emphasising that GBS is not a new condition, he highlighted that 301 cases had been reported in 10 of the 17 Government General Hospitals in 2024. Of these, 115 cases were reported in Guntur GGH, 45 each in Kakinada and Vijayawada GGHs, 33 in Kurnool, 28 in Visakhapatnam, and 21 in Nellore. Stating that 43 cases had been reported This is to avoid overcrowding of station areas. In response to a query from this newspaper, Union Railw ay M i n i s t e r A s h w i n i Vaishnaw said railway experts will design access routes from holding areas to platforms in such a way so that there is no scope for overcrowding. One such holding area was set up at the New Delhi station on Monday itself. The same will be extended to key stations in Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, and other states that re g u l a rly w i t n e s s l a r g e crowds. The 60 stampede-prone stations have been identified based on the number of departing and originating passengers. They include Patna, Ara, and Buxar in Bihar; Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw Monday ruled out any conspiracy behind the New Delhi stampede and claimed there was also no extraordinary rush at the platforms at the time of the incident. “No conspiracy looks at the moment,” he said while interacting with mediapersons Panel meets to pick new CEC, Cong asks govt to defer its call CM Chandrababu Naidu during a review meeting on GBS cases, in Undavalli | Express in January this year, he explained that 17 people are currently undergoing treatment. The Health Minister clarified that GBS is caused when the immune system attacks the peripheral nerves, resulting in muscle weakness and paralytic effects on the lower limbs. He noted that only one or two people out of every one lakh are affected by GBS. Further, he advised the public to seek treatment if they notice any symptoms. “In fact, 85% of patients recover without the need for any treatment. Only around 15% of those affected require treatment with immunoglobulin injections,” P4 he explained.  police stations across the State. Noting that there are 1,392 police stations across the State, a division bench, comprising Justices R Raghunandan Rao and K Maheswara Rao, questioned why CCTV cameras had been installed in only 1,001 of them. The court further enquired why only 785 out of 1,226 CCTV cameras installed in jails across the State were functioning. The government was asked to explain the steps taken to repair the non-functional cameras. The court also sought clarification on whether the government had installed CCTV cameras in accordance with Supreme Court directives. “Were they installed to cover the entire premises of the police station?” the Bench asked. Additionally the Dep, uty Superintendents of Police (DSPs) in the State were directed to submit reports on the matter to the head of the Infor mation Technolog y Department. Moreover, the State government was instructed to file an affidavit providing details of CCTV cameras in police stations and jails, including in- formation on their maintenance, repairs, storage of footage, and current capacity . Emphasising that, as per Supreme Court orders, CCTV footage must be stored for 12 months, the High Court enquired about the current storage capacity of police stations and sought details of the storage methods and backup procedures. The case was adjourned for further P4 hearing on March 10.  places of worship act case posted to april Decision taken, name sent to prez: Sources The government presented a list of five names shortlisted by a search committee chaired by Union law minister Arjun Meghwal. Sources said the selection committee made a decision and recommended the name to President Droupadi Murmu. ter. Home Minister Amit Shah is the third member of the selection panel. Congress leader Abhishek Singhvi said by removing the Chief Justice of India from the selection committee, the government has made it clear it wants control, and not preserve the credibility of the EC. “It is necessary that a transparent, balanced, impartial decision should be taken, which is in the public interest, and in the interest of democracy Singhvi said. ,” AICC treasurer Ajay Maken, said, “When the SC has indicated that they will hear the case on the constitution of the committee on the 19th, this meeting should have been postponed.” express read spiritual economy CM inaugurates temples expo Tirupati: CM Chandrababu Naidu inaugurated the International Temples Convention & Expo (ITCX) 2025 in Tirupati & emphasised the importance of integrating technology with temple management to create a selfsustaining ecosystem. Calling the event the “Maha Kumbh of Temples,” Naidu outlined his vision for temples as hubs of economic development and cultural preservation, highlighting their role in India’s spiritual economy | P4 S u c h i t r a K a lya n M o h a n t y @ New Delhi THE Supreme Court on Monday deferred hearing to the first week of April on a batch of petitions in connection with the Places of Worship (Special Provisions) Act, 1991. The CJI-led bench of Chief Justice of India Sanjiv Khanna and Justice P V Sanjay Kumar expressed its displeasure that far too many intervention applications had been filed in the case. “We will not take up the Places of Worship Act matter today... Too many petitions filed. List sometime in April. There is a limit to interventions being filed. Enough is enough,” the bench said, making it clear that the top court would not entertain any new petitions on the matter. The case will now be heard by a three-judge bench. Introduced during the Ayodhya movement, the Act seeks to protect status quo of all religious structures as they stood on August 15, 1947, and prohibits courts from entertaining cases which dispute the character of places of worship. The Congress, the RJD, CPI (M), and IUML sought intervention pleas. BJP’s Ashwini Upadhyay had challenged the law in 2021. krishna water row TG CM seeks Centre’s help Shaken and Uprooted An uprooted tree at Jheel Park in Delhi’s Dhaula Kuan, the epicentre of the 4.0 magnitude earthquake that struck Delhi-NRC on Monday morning | Express Hyderabad: Asserting that the Centre should take responsibility for stopping Andhra from utilising water in excess of what it has been allocated, Telangana CM A Revanth Reddy directed officials to lodge a complaint with the Centre against the unilateral drawing of water by AP. He also made it clear that the responsibility of allocating the water share between the two states lies with the Central Water Commission | P4 Govt rolls out early childhood development project in Kuppam D S u r end r a K u m a r @ Chittoor The State government has launched a pilot project aimed at enhancing early childhood development by integrating modern technology with Anganwadi centres. Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu in- augurated the initiative in Kuppam on October 4, marking the first phase of the programme in Andhra Pradesh. The project is a collaboration between the Kuppam Area Development Authority and Care N Grow, a private organisation involved in various early child- hood development (ECD) settings, to assess and improve children’s physical and mental growth before they turn five. A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed between the two entities, establishing a structured and scientific approach to child de- velopment. The pilot project aligns with the State government’s objective of strengthening early-sta g e child development. Officials are hopeful that the model will be expanded across the State, depending on its sucP4 cess in Kuppam.